Jackson wants to be the home of a minor league basketball franchise, and is looking at renovating Mississippi Coliseum as part of its proposal.

The city announced Thursday that it is pursuing the opportunity to be the home of the NBA’s New Orleans Pelican’s D-League franchise.

The proposal is due by June 5. Among the partners in the project are the Mississippi Coliseum, Downtown Jackson Partners and the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership.

The NBA has specific requirements for its D-League franchises, Jackson Director of Innovation and Performance Justin Bruce said, and Mississippi Coliseum is not there yet. Upgrades would have to be made to seating (including the addition of floor seats), lighting (for TV broadcasts) and the addition of spots for merchandise sales.

Most teams in the NBA's minor league (which will rebrand itself as the G-League starting next season, as part of a sponsorship deal with Gatorade) average a few thousand fans a game. Mississippi Coliseum seats 6,812, so the size of the venue is not an issue.

The next question — and a significant part of the proposal process — will be figuring out how to pay for those renovations, which are needed anyway and could help the metro area to attract concerts and sporting events. But the Pelicans plan to start play with the team in 2018-19, and that provides a jolt to a process that could ordinarily take years for Mississippi Coliseum.

Bruce said public and private partnerships are being considered, and city or state (or a combination of both) funds could eventually be used.

"The onus hasn’t been on funding," Bruce said. "We don’t really think that’s going to be the major issue. More so the major focus is going to be put together the best possible proposal that puts Jacksonians in a good light, all of Jackson to benefit. To not only get the NBA D-League team into Jackson, but reap the economic benefits of other events and other possibilities."

Exact figures for a renovation are not yet known, and should the Pelicans pursue a deal further with Jackson it'd become clearer what it would provide to the community. The team would need a place to train and practice, which could help Jackson State. The city has identified its gym as a potential location for that, and it could receive upgrades as a result.

"We know there'll be investment from (the Pelicans)," Bruce said.

The Pelicans sent out requests for proposals last month to 11 different communities, including seven in Louisiana (Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, Shreveport and St. Tammany Parish), one in Alabama (Mobile) and one in Florida (Pensacola). Gulfport and Jackson were the two Mississippi cities chosen.

The D-League is a developmental league that has grown in recent years as teams pursue their own affiliates, and then place them close to the franchises. Memphis is basing its D-League team in Southaven starting next season, playing a 24-game home schedule at the Landers Center.